Brain Tumor Risk Higher for Teens Who Stop Growing Later

Below:

Next story in Science

Teens who take longer to reach their full height may be at
increased risk for certain types of brain tumors later in life, a
new study suggests.

The study involved nearly 2,600 people, including 1,045 people
with glioma, a category of brain and spinal tumors that arise
from cells known as glial cells; 274 people with
meningioma, a type of tumor that forms in the lining of the
brain; and 1,242 people without brain tumors. Participants, who
were mostly in their 50s, reported how old they were when they
stopped growing.

On average, men reached their full height at age 17, while women
reached their full height at age 16.

For each additional year it took people to reach their full
height, the risk of glioma increased by 14 percent for men and 11
percent for women, the study found.

The reason for the possible link is not clear. It's possible that
teens who take longer to stop growidietitianng are exposed to
growth hormones for longer periods, which may affect glioma
risk, said study researcher Rebecca Little, a and doctoral
student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Previous studies have linked having a higher body mass index
(BMI) in young adulthood, and
taller stature overall, with glioma risk, but the new
findings are a first, the researchers said.

No link was found between the age at which people stopped growing
and their risk of meningioma, the researchers noted.

Because the study was conducted in a single region of the United
States — the Southeast — additional research is needed to
replicate the findings in other groups of people, Little said.

The study found only an association, and cannot prove that taking
longer to stop growing causes brain tumors.

Interestingly, the risk of glioma was highest among people who
took longer to reach their full height, but whose final height
was on the short side. This finding could be due to chance, so
more research is needed to confirm it, Little said. But it's
possible that these people's bodies produce a lower level of
growth hormones over a prolonged period, which may confer a
higher risk of tumors than a higher level of growth hormones over
a short period, Little said.

It's possible that some people may not accurately recall the age
at which they stopped growing, but Little noted that people are
often good at remembering their height and weight at certain time
points in life.

The study was presented this week at the meeting of the American
Association for Cancer Research in San Diego.